Chapter 4
(Lily)
Scratch, scratch.
In the seemingly peaceful library of Eve’s mansion, someone was making a bored expression while looking at a dull book. The face of the person reading the book appeared very tedious and dull.
Who was that? Naturally, it was me.
“I’m bored.”
I don’t know why, but it has been over two years since my sister read me the book with the red cover that was sitting on my bookshelf.
It seemed that nobody cared about that incident anymore. After all, the only ones who knew about it were me and my sister, and the only person who knew the contents of the dream was Eve.
Once, out of curiosity, I asked my sister about the dream’s content, but apart from warning me to be cautious of the other siblings, she avoided answering.
It’s been over three days since I last saw my sister.
My sister, who will become an adult in two months, is increasing her workload as a high-ranking demon. Because of that, I hardly get to see her, and I am living in misery each day due to withdrawal symptoms from Eve.
Moreover, I will soon turn thirteen in half a year, so under my sister’s belief that I need to become a capable demon, she has hired a tutor to teach me politics.
Having lived countless lives and having learned it more than hundreds of times, and even having taught it myself, I can’t believe I have to learn this boring subject again. I’m more stubborn than the teacher in front of me!
“I miss you, sister.”
I need my sister’s smile, her scent, her voice.
-“Miss, please focus and stop sulking.”
Viola, my tutor and my direct maid, replied.
Viola is from a fallen noble family of the Demon Realm. For reasons unknown, she harbored a grudge against the family that abandoned her brother and exposed their internal corruption and conspiracy of rebellion, resulting in her family’s destruction, leaving only her behind.
When my sister decided to take such a person, a demon, as my tutor and maid, I worried that she had lost her mind, but to my surprise, she was not only normal but incredibly strict.
“But it’s boring, dull, and tedious. Can’t we go out and play, Viola?”
I pleaded with Viola, looking at her with desperate eyes and a tone that sounded sorrowful.
-“Miss, your health continues to deteriorate, so the master has instructed me not to grant your requests.”
Oh no, I think being more frail will benefit the look in the future, so I deliberately tangled my mana circuits a bit, but they are all fussing over it. Still, I can’t give up at this level.
I didn’t back down against Viola’s rebuttal and looked at her with sparkling eyes as if filled with stars.
“Viola… just this once, let’s sneak out to play. Please?”
Where did that calm and cold gaze from class go? All I could see were those eyes trembling aimlessly at my cuteness.
-“Ahem… This is the last time, Miss. From the next class, we’ll have to cover the supplementary lesson you missed. Understood?”
Kya ha! This is why I can’t hate Viola. No, I don’t even hate her; she’s the best. Plus, she’s beautiful! I jumped out of my chair and tightly hugged Viola’s waist, resting my face against her soft belly and smiling brightly.
“Hehe, thank you. Viola is truly the best!”
Despite my flattery filled with ulterior motives, Viola shook her head and sighed, but I guess she couldn’t erase the small smile on her lips.
-“This really is the last time, Miss.”
Hmph, Viola. You need to join in on my little play too.
***
“Hehe, the fresh air really feels much better. Don’t you think, Viola?”
If I stayed cooped up in the mansion library studying, I’d surely collapse. I realized that people need to see sunlight to live, and I felt grateful once again for Viola’s kindness.
Viola is truly an angel. Or is she a demon since we’re in the Demon Realm? Anyway, it feels like it’s been about a week since I last came outside due to my poor health. It’s just that I tangled my mana circuits a bit. Everyone is being overly dramatic; it’s confusing who’s actually sick.
All I’ve done is occasionally collapse while walking or suddenly have a fever at night, and my sense of taste has dulled.
Hmm, did I tangle the circuits too much?
This is all to help decorate the finale that will happen later and, at the same time, to poke at Viola’s unpleasant memories, but everyone in the mansion keeps trying to lock me up inside.
Anyway, since it’s been a while I’ve been outdoors, I should enjoy it to the fullest. It would have been perfect if Eve were here, but she’s busy these days. I’ll have to scold her later.
I headed quickly to my favorite fountain in the central garden, savoring the refreshing breeze that met me as I stepped outside.
-“Miss, please don’t run too fast when your health isn’t good.”
Seeing me suddenly speed up, Viola called out to me from afar as she walked slowly, smiling.
“Hurry up, Viola! It feels so good here since it’s been a while.”
Viola, carrying a basket full of desserts in both hands, approached me a little faster at my urging.
-“Phew, I wonder how you move so quickly with such short legs.”
I perched on the fountain, watching Viola prepare the desserts. It feels a bit boring to just eat desserts and go back. Should I add a little seasoning?
Splash!
-“Miss!”
Feigning a mistake, I fell backward into the fountain. Even though the fountain was only thigh-deep at most, it was more than enough to soak my small frame completely.
Viola rushed in like she was diving in to pull me out of the fountain, but by then, my clothes and hair were already drenched.
“Cough, cough!”
I coughed reflexively as water filled my mouth and nose. Seeing this, Viola seemed ready to take me back to the mansion immediately.
I shook my head at Viola, determined that I couldn’t go back like this.
“I’m fine, Viola. Let’s just eat the desserts.”
It seemed Viola had already made up her mind when I fell into the water, as she firmly rejected my childish request.
-“Miss, it really isn’t okay anymore. If we don’t go back to the mansion and dry your clothes and hair right away, you’ll catch a cold.”
Though I felt a slight chill, I thought it wouldn’t lead to anything serious later, so I shook my head even more vigorously, stubbornly refusing.
If this news reached my sister, not only would I be banned from going out, but they might even uproot the fountain.
“I really don’t want to go back right now. Who knows when I’ll get to come out again?”
As I insisted, I could see Viola’s face change through a spectrum of emotions—anger, regret, guilt, and sadness.
-“Miss, really…”
After about thirty seconds of contemplation, it seemed Viola had reached a compromise. She set me down and said,
-“Alright, Miss. How could I stop you?”
Accepting my stubbornness, Viola pulled something out of the basket and wrapped it around me.
-“Since you might catch a cold, at least wear this towel.”
As expected, Viola easily caved to my request. This is why it’s fun to plead with her.
I smiled gratefully at Viola, thanking her, and then sat down at the table to eat the desserts I had set up earlier.
“Come sit next to me. Let’s eat together.”
-“I’m fine.”
“It’s tastier if we eat together… Did my stubbornness make you dislike it, Viola?”
As I said this with a quiver in my voice, Viola sat down next to me at a speed that made her invisible to my sight.
-“Let’s eat quickly and go back to the mansion, alright?”
“Yeah!”
As expected, Viola is easy to handle.
***
(Viola)
In the peaceful mansion late at night, there were only sounds of constant coughing and splashing water echoing from the room of the person who held the second-highest position in the mansion.
“Cough, cough! Haah… Viola…”
Viola couldn’t shake off the guilt she felt at Lily’s call.
Even if she disregarded Lily’s opinions, she should have brought her back to the mansion before Lily fell into the fountain, ignored her pleas, and continued the lesson.
However, no matter how much she chastised herself, nothing would change. All she could do was keep changing the wet towel on her master’s forehead.
As she repeated this mundane task, lost in thought, someone opened the door and entered.
“I don’t recall giving you permission to take Lily inside the mansion without my knowledge, Viola.”
Leaning against the wall, the one who spoke was Eve, the master of the mansion.
“I’m sorry. It was my oversight.”
Not only had she put the master she was supposed to serve in danger, but she had also made her ill; all of this was her fault.
Ready to accept any punishment that might befall her, Eve spoke.
“I don’t think we need a maid who has failed in her duty to serve her master.”
With Eve’s piercing words, I could only lower my head in silence.
But then—
“E-Eve, please don’t…”
Lily, still half-conscious, struggled to raise her body and embraced Eve.
“I was the one who said we should go first. Viola is not at fault. If anyone should be punished, it’s me.”
Lily’s audacious words caught Eve off guard for a moment, but she laid Lily back down.
“Alright, Lily, I won’t punish Viola. You’ll be in pain, so get some rest first.”
“You promised, sister; you must keep your promise…”
As Lily drifted off before finishing her sentence, Eve smiled gently, stroking her hair, and then turned to look at me.
“My sister has decided to grant you another chance out of her generosity. However, if such an incident occurs again, you should prepare yourself.”
With that, Eve left the room, seemingly uninterested in hearing my response as she walked down the hallway.
Viola looked at her master, who had defended her, and thought of her sister, who had just left.
She resolved not to allow such a past to repeat itself.
As she felt the warm water for cooling her head had turned lukewarm, she left again to fetch cold water.
“Hihii.”
Having briefly stepped out to change the water, she couldn’t hear the sound of someone’s sinister laughter echoing in the room.
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